Mitski’s Laurel Hell: A Triumph in Indie-Pop Operatics
By Izzy Desmarais
Indie-pop superstar Mitski scared fans in June 2019 when she announced her September performances at SummerStage in New York City’s Central Park would be her final shows “indefinitely.” She quickly extinguished rumors suggesting that these shows would mark the end of her musical career, tweeting “Y’all, I’m not quitting music! Me? Quit music?? I’ve been on non-stop tour for over 5 years, I haven’t had a place to live during this time, & I sense that if I don’t step away soon, my self-worth/identity will start depending too much on staying in the game, in the constant churn.”
Following these performances, Mitski went radio silent for the next two years, handing over all of her social media accounts to her management team. But on October 5th of last year, Mitski returned with the release of her new single, “Working for the Knife.” A month later, another single, “The Only Heartbreaker,” was released along with the announcement of her sixth studio album, Laurel Hell, coming out February 4th, 2022.
That day has finally come! Laurel Hell is out for the whole world to hear. I have been a fan of Mitski since 2018, when I saw her open for Lorde’s Melodrama World Tour. With the release of “Working for the Knife,” I remembered the feelings of burnout and disillusion in the music industry that Mitski had alluded to just a few years ago. She references these feelings again, singing, “I used to think I'd be done by twenty / Now at twenty-nine, the road ahead appears the same / Though maybe at thirty, I'll see a way to change / That I'm living for the knife.” She taps into a different kind of vulnerability from her usual heartbreaking ballads of unrequited love. Laurel Hell is a synth-heavy album reminiscent of ‘80s pop that evokes feelings of anxiety, love, sorrow, defeat, and forgiveness. As a listener and long time fan, I hear a clear narrative throughout the tracklist, depicting yet another raw and honest experience of a musician today.
The album opens with “Valentine, Texas,” an incredibly eerie tune that reminded me of the main title from The Shining, composed by electronic music pioneer Wendy Carlos. I was expecting the song to sound ambient throughout, but halfway through it opens up with bright and orchestral synthetic melodies. This was the perfect track to start the album with, giving the listener a taste of what’s to come by sonically representing the highs and lows of the music industry Mitski examines in her lyrics. Mitski begins this narrative with her stepping back onto the stage: “Let's step carefully into the dark / Once we're in, I'll remember my way around / Who will I be tonight? / Who will I become tonight?” “Valentine, Texas” enveloped me as I laid in the darkness of my dorm room at 9:03AM, welcoming me into the world of Laurel Hell and flowing effortlessly into the rest of the tracklist, where Mitski dives deeper into the darker feelings associated with her success.
Cynical tracks like “Working for the Knife,” “Everyone,” “Heat Lighting,” “There’s Nothing Left Here for You,” and “I Guess” focus more on the downsides of the music industry, their lyrics falling right in line with the painful vulnerability Mitski is known for. While she might pair gloomy lyrics with loud instrumentals, (see “Nobody,” “Francis Forever,” or “Your Best American Girl”), Mitski goes for a muted sound to match her tone. This creates an incredibly operatic experience that her other albums don’t have.
“Everyone,” the fourth track on the album, serves as a turning point in this story of the once excited musician, realizing that her career may not be everything she dreamed of. She sings, “And I opened my arms wide to the dark / I said take it all, whatever you want / I didn’t know that I was young / I didn’t know what it would take.” “Heat Lightning” continues this narrative, as Mitski succumbs to a darker, sinister world, saying, “There’s nothing I can do / Not much I can change / I give it up to you / I surrender.”
Yet, there are still a handful of upbeat tunes on this album. “The Only Heartbreaker” and “Love Me More” provide the perfect combination of indie-pop and nostalgic ‘80s synth that will have fans everywhere screaming along to the lyrics at her upcoming concerts. “Stay Soft” is another happy-ish sounding song, but it falls a little short both lyrically and sonically compared to the previous tracks mentioned.
Following the dreariness of “There’s Nothing Left Here for You,” “Should’ve Been Me” is a breath of fresh air with a fun bass line, thumping drums, and dancing electronic strings that reminded me of emo masterpiece A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out (all hail Ryan Ross). I was expecting this album to end on a lower note, but Mitski surprised me with “That’s Our Lamp,” another groovy track that just makes you want to get out of your seat and dance. It definitely strays away from the message of the rest of the album, but returns to her trope of masking lyrics of unrequited love with happy instrumentals and reminds me of her song “Strawberry Blond” from sophomore album, Retired From Sad, New Career in Business. Sonically, the songs are not the same, but the message is clear: “Reach out the car window trying to hold the wind / You tell me you love her, I give you a grin / Oh, all I ever wanted was a life in your shape” versus “We may be ending / I'm standing in the dark / Looking up into our room / Where you'll be waiting for me / Thinking that's where you loved me.”
Laurel Hell is yet another sensational record Mitski can add to her already impressive repertoire. For established and future fans alike, I highly recommend you give this album a listen. On the surface, success seems like this cool thing that everyone is constantly striving for. Here, Mitski uncovers what’s lurking underneath, a demanding and oftentimes oppressive environment, through a detailed electronic indie-pop soundtrack.